Car or train signal.



No. 782,454. PATBNTED FEB 14, 1905. W LINTERN CAR OR TRAIN SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4. 1904.

z'zn'sssss y? %@M 771% QAW/ Patented February 14, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

IVILLIAM LINTERN, OF VEST PARK, OHIO.

CAR OR TRAIN SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,454, dated February14, 1905.

Application filed August I, 1904. Serial No. 219,469.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM LINTERN, a citizen of the United States,residing at est Park, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar and Train Signals,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signal-lights carried by cars, trains, ormotor-vehicles, preferably upon the rear ends thereof; and its purposeis primarily to attract the attention of the operator of a car, train,or vehicle which may be following.

One of the most exacting details of the operation of cars at night is tokeep apprised of the movements of a preceding car; and my presentinvention is designed to provide for displaying differently coloredsignal -lights upon a car or train, so as to give notice instantly tothe operator of a following car of the application or shutting off ofpower and constantly as to Whether the power is on or off in the carahead. This enables the operator of a car following to govern hisactions positively, thereby avoiding collisions and much wasteful andindecisive alternating applications of power and brakes.

Further objects of the invention are, to provide such apparatus ofsimple construction and which can be readily installed in a car andoperated by the usual appliances of the car without requiring anyadditional move ments or attention by the operators of said car.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and combinationshereinafter described and claimed, an embodiment thereof as applied toan electric-motor car of the usual type being illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure I is a diagrammatic view showingthe electrical wiring of the apparatus. II is a plan view, and Fig. IIIis a front clevation, of the upper part of an electric controller,showing the operating-switch. Fig.

IV is a rear elevation of the signal-box. Fig. V is a detailed elevationof the switch-socket.

The reference-letter a, Figs. I and IV, indicates a signal-box providedwith a door Z) and adapted to be secured in any suitable way to a car,preferably at the rear end thereof.

The box a is divided into an upper and lower compartment by a horizontalpartition 0, composed of an electrically non-conducting substance, suchas fiber. An electric lamp (Z, preferably of the incandescent type, ismounted upon the upper side, and a similar lamp 6 depends from the lowerside of the partition 0. It is evident that groups of lamps can besubstituted in place of the single lamps (Z and e. The door 5, whichopens toward the rear when the box is properly secured to the car, isprovided with upper and lower apertures opposite to the respectivelamps, in which are secured differently-colored panes of glass or othersuitable material, the upper pane f be ing preferably red and the lowerpane g being preferably green. It is obvioust that the same coloredlight effect could be secured by employing a red-glass globe in the lamp(Z and a green-glass globe in the lamp 0, which maybe done, if desired.The box a should be provided with suitable ventilating-a1)ertures /L,Fig. IV, and may be of any suitable material; but I now prefer to makeit of cast-iron lined with asbestos.

The electric current to operate the signallamps may be supplied from anyavailable source; but where there are electric lamps in the car or trainI prefer to proceed as follows: One of the lamp-circuits of the car isindicated at Z in the diagram Fig. I, and one of these lamps, Zr, may becut out of the series, as by shifting a four-poled switch 0, as shown, awire 7' therefrom being extended to a point near the signal-box a andterminating in one member of a coupling Z, preferably the female memberthereof. A wire m, leading from the signal-box a, where it connects withthe positive terminals of both the signallamps (Z and e, is providedwith the other member of the coupler Z, so that it may be joined to thewire j. A wire 12, leads from the negative terminal of the signal-lamp(Z and is connected to the pole p of the double-poled centerbalanccdswitcln'mounted upon the top of the controller-box 1', and the wire 0connects the negative terminal of the lamp 0 with the pole q of saidswitch. Couplers u are provided in the wires /1 and 0 to permit theremoval of the box (6.

The double-poled switch comprises a plate 25 of any suitableelectrically non-conducting material which is 'screwed or otherwisesecured to the top of the controller-boX rof the car in close proximityto the stop-lugw there of, and acentrally-fulcrumed metallic lever a,mounted upon said plate I? in position to be operated by thecontroller-lever r, as shown in Figs. 11 and 111. The upper surface ofthe switch-lever s is curved, so that its middle portion and its extremeends are depressed, as shown, the elevated portions being adapted toengage the lower edge of the controllerlever n, by means of which theswitch-lever is tilted to engage with one or the other of theswitch-pole standards 2 or q, the said standards having forked orslotted ends to receive and hold the respective ends of the switchlever.

It is important, to prevent tampering with the signal-lights, that theswitch-lever s be readily removable, so that it may be transferred toanother controller in the opposite end of the ear or upon another car.This may be accomplished by providing a suitable socket for the lever inits fulcrum-post, or the fulcrum-post may be made in two parts, as shownherein, the lower part 2 being a socket rigidly secured to the plate 6and the lever .9 being hinged to a plug 3, adapted to fit into saidsocket. Slots L are formed in the socket to keep the lever s fromswinginglaterally. A ground-wire 5 is led from the fulcrum-post; but incases where the controller is electrically grounded the post 2 may bescrewed into or otherwise attached to the controller -top and theground-wire dispensed with.

it will now be readily understood that when the handle-lever o of thecontroller is in the off position, as shown in Figs. II and Ill, and noelectric current is being supplied to the traction-motors of the car theswitch-lever 8 will be in contact with the pole p and disengaged fromthe pole g, which closes the circuit through the red lamp (Z, thuswarning the operator of a following car or train. As power is suppliedto the traction-wheels the controller-lever o is swung around to theleft, Fig. I], and when it has reached the. position shown by the dottedlines the switch-lever s will have been tilted into contact with thepole Q and disengaged from the pole 7;, thus closing the circuit of thegreen lamp 0 and giving notice to the operator following that thepreceding car is receiving power. In order to avoid sparking anddifferences of potential at the switch-poles, I arrange the switch sothat one of the circuits will in each case be closed before the othercircuit is opened.

For trains of electric cars operated by a master-controller, which inturn operates a main controller upon each car, I prefer to equip eachcar of the train with the signal system and operate the respectiveswitch-levers s by the main controllers of each car. This method avoidsthe coupling of the conductingwires a and 0 between the cars, as wouldbe necessary if the switch 5* were operated by the master-controller,and it is evident that by throwing the switch r1: in the ears of thetrain in which the signal is not required the signal-circuit may beopened and the lightingcircuit '1' closed. It is also evident thatgroups of lamps can be worked from the main controllers by theintroduction of switches operating in conjunction with the maincontrollers independently of the lighting-circuits of the cars, since,as stated above, any available source of power may be employed.

Having now so fully described my invention that those skilled in the artto which it appertains may make and use it, either in the form shownherein or under some modification thereof, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A car or train signal comprising a lighting system operated accordingas power is supplied to or shut off from the traction-wheels of the caror train, substantially as set forth.

2. A car or train signal comprising diflerently-colored lamps, and meansfor causing said lamps to glow alternately according as power issupplied to or shut-off from the traction-wheels of the car,substantially as set forth.

3. A car or train signal comprising differently-colored lamps, and meansadapted to be operated by the power-controller of the car for causingsaid lamps to glow alternately ac cording as power is supplied to orshutoff from the traction-wheels of the ear, substantially as set forth.

4. A car or train signal comprising a pair of lamps one of which isarranged to produce a differently-colored light effect from the other,means whereby one of said lamps is caused to glow upon the applicationof power to the traction-wheels of the car, and means for causing theother of said lamps to glow upon the shutting off of power to saidtraction-wheels, substantially as set forth.

A car or train signal comprising agroup of lamps some of which arearranged to prod uce differen tly-colored light elfects from thatproduced by the others, means whereby some of said lamps are caused toglow upon the application of power to the traction-wheels of the car,and means for causing the others of said lamps to glow upon the shuttingoff of power to said traction-wheels, substantially as set forth.

6. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of signal-lamps operatedthrough a switch which is operated by the movements of the maincontroller as power is applied to or shut off from the traction wheelsof the car, substantially as set forth.

7. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate thecar, of lamps arranged to producedifferently-colored light effects, and means operated by saidcontrolling means for causing said lamps to glow alternately accordingas power is applied to or shut off from the traction-wheels of the car,substantially as set forth.

8. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of electric lamps arrangedto produce differently-colored light effects, and a switch adapted to beoperated by said controllingmeans whereby the electric circuit throughone or another of said lamps may be closed or opened according as poweris applied to or shut off from the traction-wheels of the car,substantially as set forth.

9. In a car or train signahthe combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of a pair of electric lampsone of which is arranged to produce a differently-colored light effectfrom the other, and a switch adapted to be operated by said controllingmeans having one of its poles in the electric circuit of one of the saidlamps and its other pole in the circuit of the other lamp, substantiallyas set forth.

10. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of groups of electric lampsone of which groups is arranged to produce a differently-colored lighteffect from the other, and a switch adapted to be operated by saidcontrollingmeans having one of its poles in the electric circuit of oneof the said groups and its other pole in the circuit of the other group,substantially as set forth.

11. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of a pair of electric lampsone of said lamps being adapted to produce a light effect of a differentcolor from the other, a switch-lever adapted to be operated by saidcontrolling means having an electrically-grounded fulcrum, andswitch-poles connected respectively in the electric circuits of saidlamps and adapted to engage alternately with the ends of saidswitch-lever, substantially as set forth.

12. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of groups of electric lampsadapted to produce differentlycolored light effects, a switch-leveradapted to be operated by said controlling means having anelectrically-grounded fulcrum, and switchpoles connected respectively inthe electric circuits of said lamps and adapted to engage alternatelywith the ends of said switch-lever, substantially as set forth.

13. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of a signal-box, electricsignal-lamps mounted in said box so as to show differently-colored lighteffects, and means operated by said controlling means for causing saidlamps to glow alternately according as power is applied to or shut offfrom the traction-wheels of the car, substantially as set forth.

14:. In a car or train signal, the combination with means forcontrolling the application of power to operate the car, of a pair ofelectric lamps having their positive terminals connected in the samecircuit and one of said lamps being adapted to produce a light effect ofa different color from the other, a switcl1- lever adapted to beoperated by said controlling means having an electrically-groundedfulcrum, and switch-poles connected respectively to the negativeterminals of said lamps and adapted to engage alternately with the endsof said switch-lever, substantially as set forth.

15. In a car or train signal, the combination with means for controllingthe application of power to operate the car, of groups of electricsignal-lamps having their positive terminals connected in the samecircuit and arranged to produce light efiects of different colors, aswitch-lever adapted to be operated by said controlling means having anelectrically-grounded fulcrum, and switch-poles connected respectivelyto the negative terminals of said groups of lamps, and adapted to beengaged alternately by the ends of said switchlever, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence oftwosubscribing witnesses, at Cleveland, Ohio, this 2d day of August, 1904.

WVILLIAM LINTERN.

Witnesses:

J NO. T. SULLIVAN, M. A. I/VARD.

